2 Mar 2015 Milestone Systems, the open platform company in IP video management software (VMS), has just released its bi-monthly Device Pack 7.8 for the XProtect® portfolio of products. The most significant feature in this upgrade is support for a new type of hybrid cameras combining a PTZ and a 360-degree camera.

An example of the new type of hybrid cameras is the AXIS Q6000-E network camera. This camera offers a 360° overview provided by four 2-megapixel camera heads, and when integrated with AXIS Q60-E camera, it simultaneously offers high-detail optical zoom on areas of interest.

Using XProtect clients, with just a single click operators can optically zoom in on details of interest with high precision while at the same time being able to maintain an overview of large areas of up to 20,000m² (215,000 sq. ft.) – about the size of four football fields.

The release of Device Pack 7.8 also marks that Milestone remains committed to supporting the broadest range of cameras and devices on the market – currently over 100 brands and more than 4,000 models. This means that more than 1,000 devices have been added in a year. This is the highest annual growth ever.

“The release of this device pack clearly shows the power of open platform technology. We are not only adding a brand new type of camera, we have also added support for more than a thousand devices in a just a year,” says Christian Bohn, Milestone Systems VP Corporate Marketing & Alliances. “This clearly shows our dedication to ensure that our customers and channel partners have the broadest and most comprehensive device support in the industry, now and going forward.” 

Milestone XProtect Device Packs include optimised drivers that enable the relevant capabilities of a camera or other hardware device to be managed by XProtect software. Milestone works closely with the device manufacturers in the Camera Partner Program (CaPP) to achieve the optimal interaction between their devices and the XProtect VMS. This ensures the highest quality for a video surveillance solution, which is important for total system operability, efficiency and stability.